the cube instructor: Andrew King
installation in the Arnatt Gallery at the University of Calgary. read more
The supposedly familiar space is occupied by a form which initially presents nothing but its dominating blankness.
The cube opens up to an odd corner in the gallery, allowing the surrounding space to complete the form. When occupied it lights up, transforming from an illuminated object into the main light source. The direction of transparency is reversed, ensuring that the observer is again faced with a solid wall of white.
Inside, the slightly raised fabric floor cushions the step, creating an experience dramatically different from walking on the concrete floor of the gallery.
By presenting the audience with a series of contraditions the project questions the notion of a gallery space. Rough plywood walls are contrasted with soft fabric, light with darkness, mass with space, and vision with experience. Projected text, changed on a dialy basis, provides the audience with hints to the nature of the installation and prompts exploration of the gallery space. The reversal of some words speaks to the necessity of understanding the project from both the inside and outside of the cube.


